


you're the only one i never looked for

by rories



Category: The Blacklist (US TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Teachers, Aram is Agnes' 2nd grade teacher and it's the cutest, Elizabeth and Samar are best friends FIGHt ME, F/M, Meet-Cute, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-02
Updated: 2020-01-02
Packaged: 2021-02-27 05:14:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,894
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22081654
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rories/pseuds/rories
Summary: Samar takes in his slightly wrinkled dress pants, his button down shirt with the sleeves rolled up, his skinny tie, and messy hair.  His easy going smile and enthusiasm and attitude with kids.  She thinks of the quiet evening she spent with Elizabeth talking about her early feelings and the disappointment she had felt that she hadn’t taken the chance when she could have.  She takes only a few seconds to think these things through and then smiles.
Relationships: Aram Mojtabai/Samar Navabi, Elizabeth Keen & Samar Navabi
Comments: 2
Kudos: 17





	you're the only one i never looked for

**Author's Note:**

  * For [whimsicalwombat](https://archiveofourown.org/users/whimsicalwombat/gifts).



> for whimsy.

“Samar, oh thank god,” Liz says breathlessly, leaning against her partner’s desk. “I need a favor.” Samar looks Liz up and down, taking in her off-buttoned coat and her bag slung over one shoulder. 

“What’s up?” she asks, leaning back in her chair and giving her friend an exasperated smile. Having known Liz for years now, she was used to the woman’s flighty personality, especially at work. 

“Red brought us a case and I have to run, but I promised to drop off the school supply donations to Agnes’s teacher. Do you think you could swing by and drop them off?” Liz pleads and gives a forced smile that reminds Samar of a grimace more than anything else. 

“Who’s getting Agnes?” Samar asks, brows furrowed in confusion. 

“She’s got a sleepover tonight, so her friend’s mom is just going to pick her up. I was going to drop everything off before the school closed but Red wants to leave as soon as possible and it would really mean a lot if you could help me out,” she rambles out before tacking on a “Please!” at the end. 

Samar huffs out a laugh and shakes her head. “Fine,” she says, grabbing for Liz’s car keys. “Who am I taking this to?” 

“Room 207, Mr. Mojtabai’s room. The office can point you in the right direction.” Liz’s phone chimes as she finishes and after pausing to read the message that is no doubt from Red (or Dembe from Red’s phone), she waves the phone in Samar’s direction and turns to go. 

“I have to go, thank you so much, I owe you! Thank you!” Liz calls out as she walks away, slinging her bag over her shoulder. 

Samar just breathes out a laugh and turns back to her computer, tucking the room number and teacher’s name in the back of her mind. 

*****

The room isn’t hard to find once the secretary points out which hallway to take and when she finds room 207, the door is wide open. Agnes’ second grade classroom is open and bright with literally every color she can imagine adorning the walls. 

The tables barely come up to her knees, each with a basket of markers and pencils in the middle of them. There’s a more adult sized table on one side of the room and behind it, the teacher. 

He’s looking down, marking some papers she guesses, when she comes in and doesn’t look up until Samar accidentally hits one of the smaller tables, knees first. 

“Son of a -“ she starts, cutting herself off abruptly. Her exclamation is followed by his own and then he’s suddenly in front of her. 

“Are you alright?” he asks, taking the box of supplies from her hands just before it slips out. Samar takes the opportunity to bend down and run at her knee. “Don’t worry, I used to do that all the time.” He pauses to set the box on the table and then stands to face her again. “Semi-permanent bruising on my shins for basically my whole practicum before muscle memory kicked in.” 

Samar straightens and takes in the man in front of her. He’s as tall as she is, maybe taller if she took off her boots. Curly hair that’s just a touch messy, like he’s run his hands through it more than a few times today. Big brown eyes that are a bit mischievous matched with a cheeky grin. He’s...cute. 

“I’m Mr. Mojtabai,” he says and sticks out his hand. “Uh, Aram, I mean. Mr. Aram.” He laughs and shakes his head. “Aram Mojtabai. And you are…?”

“Dropping off supplies from Elizabeth Keen,” Samar replies, trying to suppress a grin. “She got called away.” 

“Oh, yes, Agnes’ mom! Thank you for doing that, it will make next week's class project so much easier.”

Samar hmms in response and tucks her hands in her jacket pockets. “What is next week’s project?” she asks after looking around at the already full of projects classroom. 

She can see that she’s asked the right question when Aram veritably lights up with excitement. “Oh! We’re learning about habitats so we’re going to build one right there!” he answers, pointing to the one empty spot in the whole of the classroom. 

He continues for a moment about environments and the different ways that teachers are _supposed_ to teach about them according to the curriculum but he’s really learned through the years that hands on learning is a much better way to get most kids interested in learning so he’s changed up his approach over the years and it’s been working much better. Samar listens, her small smile growing at his enthusiasm to teach, but does not envy him for the task. 

“Sounds fun,” she says on a small huff of laughter. “I’ll have to ask Agnes how it goes. But I have to run.” 

She’s not sure, but Samar thinks she sees a small flicker of disappointment on his face. “Oh. Oh, right, yeah, right. Well, um, thanks for dropping these off.” He gestures vaguely at the box of school supplies still on the table and then shifts to tug at the hem of his jacket. “It was nice to meet you…” 

“Samar,” she finally tells him and that boyish grin is back on his face. 

“It’s nice to meet you, Samar.” 

*****

She thinks that’s the last she’ll see of him. Red slows down on bringing them Blacklisters, so Elizabeth is able to get Agnes from school or the babysitter’s most days. 

And then the mother and daughter are both taken out by a nasty flu that goes around with a vengeance. Samar drops in after work most days to make sure they have plenty of medicine and water and food and plays with Agnes a little to take her mind off of how bad she feels. 

It’s during one of these afternoons that someone knocks on the door, a quick one-two-one beat against the wood. Elizabeth sleeps right through it, so Samar abandons her game of Hi Ho Cherry-O with Agnes to answer it quickly. 

“Oh!” is what she’s greeted with. It takes her a moment for her brain to catch up, but when it does, she’s shocked to find Agnes’ second grade teacher at the door. “I…thought this was Elizabeth Keen’s apartment?” Aram questions, leaning back to check the number above the door. 

“It is. Aram, right?” she asks, leaning to one side to let the man in. “Elizabeth is asleep.” 

“That’s alright, I just came to check up on her and Agnes. The office told me a Mr. Reddington had called in for the both of them past couple of days and I didn’t want Agnes to get behind on schoolwork, so I thought I’d drop by with some worksheets we’ve been working on.” He says all of this as he walks in and she can see him taking in everything around him. She wonders for a moment if he does this everywhere he goes, the gentle curiosity that he tries to bring to his classroom. 

“Well, I hope you got your flu shot,” Samar says in response, shutting the door just in time for Agnes to trudge out of her room, dragging her feet. 

“Mr. M!” she cries, her little voice still hoarse, but very excited. 

“Agnes!” Aram replies, just as excited. Samar watches as the teacher squats down until he’s eye level with his usual daytime charge and gives her a quick high five. She tamps down the quick fluttering in her belly that happens when she thinks about how good he appears to be with kids as he explains to Agnes why he’s there. That’s a feeling that will need to be addressed later, but for now, Agnes’ rosy cheeks mean she probably needs to get back to bed. 

She ushers the little girl off, smiling when she gives her teacher a hug, and then turns back to Aram. “Thank you,” she starts, leaning against the wall near the door. “She’s been cooped up for days, so having someone other than me, Red, or Dembe come to visit is nice. I’ll make sure she gets the worksheets done too when she wakes up.” 

Aram clears his throat and pulls out said worksheets, handing them over. “Yeah, no worries. Like I said, I just didn’t want her to get behind.” He smiles at her, all teeth and laugh lines and bright eyes and she can’t help but think that he really is a handsome man and not at all the type she usually goes for. 

“Well, thank you again,” she says, mirroring his grin. 

“You’re welcome, Samar,” he says before turning the doorknob. “Maybe I’ll see you around sometime.” 

“That would be nice,” Samar replies. She waves at him as he makes his way out the door and down the hallway and when she closes the door, she takes a moment to lean her forehead against it. _Oh no_ , she thinks before going to wake Elizabeth to complain about having a crush. 

*****

Samar thinks for sure that him stopping by the Keen’s apartment is the absolute last time she’ll ever see Aram Mojtabai. She’s not disappointed, she’s _not_ , no matter the looks that Elizabeth gives her when she talks about the things Agnes is doing in her class. It’s a silly crush on a guy who appears nice and sweet and good with kids and is a little intimidated by her which is always a nice feeling. But that’s it and nothing more and there’s no reason to be disappointed in not having seen him again. 

And then one morning, as she’s standing line at the coffee place down the street from the Post Office, she hears a quiet ‘Ahem’ from behind her. She thinks it’s going to be another man attempting to hit on her and she rolls her eyes as she turns around. “I’m not interested,” she says before she even turns, preparing to harden herself. 

“Oh…” is what she gets in response. Samar glances at the man behind her and then does a double take, one that makes him laugh as she realizes who it is. 

“Aram,” she says, surprised. “Hi.” 

“Hi,” he replies, that ever present grin on his face. “How’ve you been?” 

Samar can’t help but stare at him for a moment, surprised to see him, but oh so glad for it. “I’ve been well. You?” 

“Doing pretty good myself,” he answers, shrugging one shoulder. “I was kind of hoping I would run into you again.” 

Samar can see a hint of a blush on his cheeks and she can’t help but find him endearing, so she quirks an eyebrow in his direction. “You know, I was kind of hoping the same.” 

“Oh, good, then this will be easier,” he says before taking a deep breath. “Would you...like to grab dinner with me some time?” 

Samar takes in his slightly wrinkled dress pants, his button down shirt with the sleeves rolled up, his skinny tie, and messy hair. His easy going smile and enthusiasm and attitude with kids. She thinks of the quiet evening she spent with Elizabeth talking about her early feelings and the disappointment she had felt that she hadn’t taken the chance when she could have. She takes only a few seconds to think these things through and then smiles. 

“Yes.”


End file.
